In
the United States, there are various types of controller positions and
places these controllers work. Terminal controllers work in airport
control towers or terminal radar approach control (TRACON) rooms or
buildings. En route controllers work at one of 20 different air route
traffic control centers around the country. There are also 17 flight
service stations in Alaska, where flight service specialists provide
pilots with preflight and in-flight weather information, suggested
routes and other aeronautical information. Lastly, some air traffic
controllers work at the FAA's Air Traffic Control Systems Command
Center in Virginia, where they oversee the entire system and respond
with management plans for bottlenecks and trouble spots in the overall
system.

Job Outlook and Salary

It
is expected that a majority of today's air traffic controllers will be
eligible to retire over the next decade, though competition to get into
the FAA Academy will remain high. According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, employment for air traffic controllers is projected to grow
by 13 percent from 2008 to 2018.

The median salary for an air traffic controller is
$111,870 annually. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $45,020, and
the highest 10 percent earned more than $161,010.